svt331

Hi all... new to the forum. I dont have a tC just yet but I will hunting for one in the next couple weeks.

I had an idea on how to get a tC faster. I have seen many posts about people who have put in a deposit and have been waiting way too long for their vehicles where others have had much better luck.

So here is my idea. Put deposits down at the two largest dealerships in the city and tell both dealerships you have a deposit at the other dealership and you will be buying who ever can get you the car you want first.

This is the strategy I am going to try in a couple weeks. Maybe it will give the dealerships an incentive not to drag their feet. Any thoughts???

EDIT: Thanks for the feedback, changed the subject to increase accuracy.

smurf3642

When I first saw the topic, I was thinking you wanted to know how to increase the speed of a tC...

But the plan sounds solid, hope it works out...

George

Well, since most dealers say "we don't even cash the checks" it would be logical for a buyer to give deposit checks to as many dealers as possible to guarantee their supposed "place in line." After the fastest dealer delivers the car, then the buyer will have to go around to the other dealers and collect the (hopefully) uncashed checks.

To do this, however, is putting a lot of trust in several dealers, something that no prudent person would do. All it takes is one bad apple to create a big headache.

George

Ergo_Scion

Yeah, I thought the same thing (re: speed).

But as for your strategy, I don't know about the rest of the country, but in the Gulf States system, it probably wouldn't work. The dealers can preference cars in their allocation, but that doesn't mean they will get everything they ask for. Sometimes they can trade to get a unit quicker. Bottom line, supply is low (and slow for the most part). Demand is high.

If you want the car, work with the dealer you like and trust. Gamesmanship is not supposed to be part of the process. but it wouldn't hurt to call or email the dealers to see what they really have. Good luck.

Su1c1da1

just tell both your salesmen from the 2 dealership saying.. if you get your tC in 2weeks, you'll get a hundred bux cash bonus... 50 in a month,

djct_watt

odds are, if they can get it they will. . . they don't want to lose a sale. They can only choose from their allocations, and are very limited. With any other car, you could ask for a dealer trade, but it's very unlikely with the tC, or any Scion, as they are hot sells right now.

Woodyear

BS, I should be picking up my tC this weekend, under two weeks since I ordered. It'll be right about 10 or 11 days. I did exactly what this fellow suggests. I went to one dealer, put down a deposit, told him I needed the car fast. He said yeah yeah, 4 to 6 weeks bud. So I wrote emails to every other dealer around, heard back from one. They say, we'll trade get you your car in two days. I tell the other dealer who I have the deposit with about it, and he says I'll have my car in a week. Now, that week has gone by, so obviously he was exaggerating, but I should still have my car within under two weeks.

PS. If your wondering why I didnt just get the car from the dealer who could have gotten one to me in two days, it's because they were gonna drive the car up from Virginia (I'm in Pittsburgh), thus putting 500 miles on it before I ever even got it. They werent even offering a discount for the 500, because then they'd be losing a lot of money (price to trade, price to drive it up, plus discount). So I just used the fact that I could have a car from a different dealer, as leverage with my current dealer to get him to stop dragging his feet. Don't believe what these dealers say, they CAN get the car faster if you're anywhere other than California. They can trade but it's a hassle and none of them want to do it, but they will if it means losing that commission!

Redfish

Why should they try and get your car any faster than the 6 week+ estimate if they know that you'll just sit around waiting for them to get it, rather, why not just take as long as they can. You need to put some fear into them that your money is not going to wait on them until they get around to getting your car.

svt331 you have the right idea on this, good luck. Hopefully you wont be like some posters who complain that their dealer has taken months to get the car while they put no pressure on the salesman and havent shopped elsewhere.

JBHS98

Yes, we can trade for another car. No, we cannot speed up the process. Remember though, in order to trade, we need to have a car to give back that the other dealer wants. If nobody has the car you want, I can't trade for it. If I don't have a car that the other guy needs, I can't get it. You got lucky, as have some other people, in that your dealer found someone who was willing to give them the car. Before you call B.S., make sure you think about all the factors.

svt331

My thinking was exactly along the lines of a trade. If the dealer thinks they have you locked in they probably wont bother to try to speed up the process by seeking a trade. They will just put in a preference and make you wait. If you tell them you are pitting them against another dealer there is a motivation to try to get the vehicle faster.

I live in the Dallas area and plan to test this method week after next. We shall see if it gets me anywhere. One dealer has told me six weeks and another has said over two months. I have found a few dealers that have a tC or two on their lots unspoken for. Even though thy are not my preference this leads me to believe they have the option to attempt a trade w/ another dealer. Anyway, like I said, we shall see.

JJE77

you guys are retarded. dont you think that us dealers would want to turn over cars as quickly as possible? the more cars we get in and out quickly, the more cars a\our suppliers give to us. the problem is that every tC we get we sell. there is just nothing you can do about it. go to a toyota store and see how many tC they have. chancrs are that they might have 1 or 2 and no more.

be patient you'll enjoy it when you get it.

RoryC

exactly...think about it, if the dealership is trying as hard as they can to get your vehicle to you as soon as possible, and you tell them some dumb ____ like, you've also put a deposit on a tC with another dealership, why should they even continue to work to find the car for you. Infact, most won't, your deposit will most likely be refunded, and the incomming vehicle sold to of the many other customers trying to purchase a tC.

...Also, as someone who has sold 3 tCs, and bought one myself, I've seen first hand, the trouble we go through to locate a vehicle for a customer. It took me 3 weeks to find a Black 5speed, but it was well worth the wait.

Lenalove

its whatever they give to the dealer... they have no control

svt331

JJE77 @ RoryC

If you guys are Scion salesmen I am not too impressed... JJE77 calling people on a Scion forum "a bunch of retards" and Rory saying "you tell them some dumb ____ like... why should they even continue to work to find the car for you..." I thought you Scion sales guys were supposed to be helpful, curtious, and professional? Glad I wont be dealing with you two.

I dont see anything wrong with the multiple deposit method. I think competition is a good thing. Competition is what our economy is based on. One dealer may have an option to trade for the vehicle you want that another may not because of their inventory. If a dealer doesnt want my business because I am going to use this method then I will go elsewhere. There are several dealerships in my area. I am sure there will be two that would be glad to sell me a car if they can get it first. I am not out to screw over a dealership or any salesmen, I am out to get the best chance to get my new car as quickly as possible. There should be nothing wrong with that.

jeffrgunn23

I happen to agree with you that what you are doing is a good idea, and I have actually advised it to a couple of customers. What the other dealers are saying to you about being retated and all is way wrong because you are actually thinking pretty intelligently. I wouldn't expect any dealer to work any harder on getting you the car though honestley. The salesperson doesn't get paid until you pick up your car, so this means they want the car to come in just as fast as you do. I would advise you to ask the dealers how long you think it will take...then when they tell you, tell them that you put a deposit over at another dealereship and they told you it would be about two weeks longer than what he just told you.

HyperZ

What I want to know is how long are these people waiting that are getting the cars which are being sold? Everyone says that the cars are being sold before they even get a chance to get to the showroom floors. Well, how long did these people have to wait to get their car?

It's a mere guess that determines whether you'll get your car sooner or later. If I put a deposit down with dealer A and dealer B gets the car I want this month and sells it to another guy, I'm SOL. That's gotta suck...

But anyway, are these people waiting weeks, months, years!!? heh... I'm just thinking it seems like your best bet is to find the dealership that is selling the most Scions and put a deposit down with them. Only thing is... everyone else in town probably did the same...

espscion

If you want to tie up extra money with multiple deposits, that is completely up to you. It really won't make a dealer get your vehicle any faster because allocation doesn't change. With Toyota, allocation works on a "turn and earn" system (i.e. sell a Camry, earn 1.5, or whatever, on the next allocation), but Scions do not work this way. Your allocated amount is your allocated amount. You may get lucky and have a dealer that has a customer back out of a deal (we had a situation where a customer's tC arrived, but then he got deployed to Iraq), thereby making the car available. I have lost sales because another dealer had a vehicle that happened to be available, but by and large, there is a wait that cannot be shortened by inciting "competition". But, like I said, what you do with your money is your business.

mrtc

This is NOT a new idea. I used it (kind of) to get my car,and I've mentioned it many times here.

Had a deposit at dealer #1. After a couple of weeks, I walked into dealer #2 and expressed my dissatisfaction with the first dealer (not WHINING - I didn't want to make the second dealer wonder if I was a crank, or on crank) and asked what dealer #2 could do.

Dealer #2 put me on the preference list without even a deposit. They got me a car on the second allocation (the dealer #1 was on their fourth allocation and still coming up empty).

Putting a deposit in at multiple dealers WON'T make the dealers speed up getting your car. What it WILL do is make sure you're in with the dealer who can get your car first. It's like having your friends get into multiple checkout lines at the supermarket, then when someone gets to the checker first, you all buy your groceries together.

RanmaP

I haven't seen one die becasue they can't have a car... I looked at the tC.. I liked it. Best bang for the buck...

Just tell them your going to get something else.